A friend of mine posted this picture to my Facebook page the other day (thanks Michelle!) Normally these types of sayings make me smile, and then are promptly forgotten, but this one stayed with me.

I realized that this is something I’ve been trying to do a lot while travelling.

The people of Costa Rica have given us the gift of sharing their beautiful country with us. We’ve met so many people during these past two months, many of whom have gone above and beyond the call of duty to make our stay memorable.

If I can do something nice for them in return, then I’m going to do it. It’s all about the little things. Thinking back, these are some of the little things I’ve done to “leave my sparkle.”

• Painting faces for free in Playa Coco
• Leaving hand drawn cards for housekeepers with their tip
• Baking cookies at Christmas for local businesses
• Drawing up new signs the restaurant in Matapalo
• Buying candy for the local kids outside the supermarket
• Always offering to take photo’s of people who are taking selfies
• Refusing change for people I buy Pipa’s or bracelets from
• Leaving drawings in hostels to hang on their bulletin board
• Getting blog posts about local businesses featured on town newsletters
• And of course, lots, and lots of smiling!

How do you leave your sparkle?

Pura Vida!

Kate

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